The present invention relates to a novel tag useful for tagging luggage and in other tagging applications.
In order to ensure that passenger luggage reaches its proper destination, the airline industry typically affixes a "bag tag" to each piece of checked luggage. A standard bag tag takes the form of a flat, elongated (e.g. 2" by 19") strip of material which is marked with the intended destination of the luggage. Normally, the tag is attached to the luggage by inserting one end of the strip through the luggage handle and then securing the two ends of the tag together by means of a pressure sensitive adhesive. To prevent the adhesive from bonding prematurely, a liner is provided as a covering for the adhesive layer. When the tag is to be used, a portion of the liner is peeled off the remainder of the tag, thereby exposing the adhesive. Usually, the liner is printed with a code or other indicia such that the liner also serves as a claim check for reclaiming the checked luggage.
FIGS. 1 to 3 herein illustrate the structure of a typical bag tag in use today. As shown in FIG. 1, laminate 20 from which the bag tag is made is composed of flexible paper or plastic liner 22, paper facestock 24 and reinforcing layer 26 therebetween. One side of reinforcing layer 26 is adhesively bonded to facestock 24 by means of adhesive layer 28, while the other side of reinforcing layer 26 is adhesively bonded to liner 22 by means of adhesive layer 32. Release layer 34 is provided between liner 22 and adhesive layer 32 to allow liner 22 to be peeled off of reinforcing layer 26, thereby exposing the adhesive of adhesive layer 32.
FIG. 2 illustrates the backside (i.e. the liner side) of a bag tag made from the laminate of FIG. 1. As shown in this figure, bag tag 36 is composed of body section 38, projecting section 40 and attachment section 42. Liner 22 of the laminate is subdivided by cut 43 so that the portion 44 of liner 22 in attachment section 42 is removable, thereby exposing the adhesive of adhesive layer 32. Unique indicia 46, which matches the same indicia on the reverse side of the tag (not shown), is provided so that removable liner portion 44 also serves as a claim check. The reverse side of tag 36 in projecting section 40 is also provided with indicia (not shown) identifying the intended destination of the bag. In modern bag tags, this indicia is usually thermally printed on the tag at the check in or baggage counter when the customer checks his luggage.
FIG. 3 illustrates the bag tag of FIG. 2 when attached to a bag or other piece of luggage. FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view similar to FIG. 1 and shows the tag of FIG. 2 secured to the handle 48 of a piece of luggage. To secure bag tag 36 in place, one end of the bag tag, either before or after removal of removable liner portion 44, is inserted through the handle of the luggage piece. Then, the two ends of the tag are brought together, after removable liner portion 44 has been peeled off, and compressed by hand. This causes projecting section 40 and attachment section 42 of the tag to adhesively bond together thereby forming conjoined web 50, with body section 38 of the tag forming a closed loop around handle 48 of the luggage piece for securely attaching tag 36 in place.
Bag tags made from elongated strips of material are often subjected to significant physical abuse in normal use conditions. As a result, they are prone to tear, particularly in a tearing zone 52 located as shown in FIG. 3 in the portion of attachment section 42 proximate body section 38 of the tag. In particular, tag 36 tends to tear in a tearing zone 52 which is defined by the portion of attachment section 42 where liner 22 has been removed and which extends between the end 43 of liner 22 and the point 45 where reinforcing layer 26 of attachment section 42 bonds to liner 22 of projecting section 40.
In order to prevent bag tags from tearing, particularly in the tearing zones, it is customary to make reinforcing layer 26 from a tear resistant material arranged to extend along the entire length of the tag. For example, in one conventional bag tag of the type illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3, reinforcing layer 26 of the tag (FIG. 1) is made from a material known as Valeron.RTM.. This material is composed of a laminate of two mono-axially oriented polypropylene layers bonded together such that the directions of orientation of the co-laminated layers are arranged approximately 90.degree. with respect to one another. In another conventional bag tag of this type, reinforcing layer 26 is made from Tyvek.RTM. which is a spunbond polyethylene available from DuPont. Valeron.RTM. and Tyvek.RTM. exhibit a high degree of tear resistance in all directions. Accordingly, bag tags having the structure illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, when made with a Valeron.RTM. or Tyvek.RTM. reinforcing layer 26, exhibit a high degree of tear resistance since they include at least one reinforcing layer along their entire lengths.
Although conventional bag tags such as illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3 perform adequately, especially when made from tear resistant materials, they are relatively complicated in structure and hence relatively expensive to manufacture. Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a bag tag exhibiting comparable performance properties particularly in terms of tear resistance but which is simpler in construction and hence less expensive to manufacture and use.